Level 4 drought for Lower Fraser, South Coast

A cutthroat trout being caught and released. Recreational angling could be banned on many more B.C. streams because of low flows.

The province has declared a level 4 drought in the South Coast and Lower Fraser areas due to low stream flow conditions as extreme dry weather extends to more parts of the province.

Invoking the highest drought alert level means broad conservation efforts are expected, while major water users could face temporary restrictions and freshwater fishing could be banned on many streams.

“We need everybody to be focused on conservation and taking the correct measures,” said Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson.

Angling is already banned in many streams in the Southern Interior and on Vancouver Island, where a level 4 drought alert has already been in place.

“Under these conditions, fish seek cold water refuges and become vulnerable.”

Fish kills have happened on tributaries of the Similkameen and Barriere rivers, according to provincial officials, and some fish were stranded in an area of the East Kootenays.

Ramsay noted most B.C. rivers and streams remain open to recreational fishing and no lakes are closed.

The level 4 drought declaration is different from municipal water restrictions stages, such as Metro Vancouver’s current water use restrictions, which are at stage 2 of the region’s conservation plan.

At level 4, the province can use its authority to reduce the allowed water consumption by lower-priority water licensees in favour of others. That could affect some industries and agricultural businesses.

A further step could be the use of the Fish Protection Act to temporarily limit water use by all other users. That’s only ever been invoked in 2009, when a long dry summer threatened kokanee salmon populations in the Upper Nicola River.